Immunization Registries should get accurate information to Immunization providers when and where they need it.

With the explosion of Internet availability and the ubiquity of web browsers on everything from computers to cell phones, the browser has become the natural extension of the immunization registry. State registries are now beginning to exchange data using the HL7 protocol, making it the choice for data representation and transmission.

In 2000 QS Technologies started a Web Registry initiative to provide Web Browser access to the immunization registry data in our existing registry products. We chose HL7 as the native language for all data exchange within the project  and and to exchange information with external data providers. That initiative has now become reality with the initial release of our Web-based Insight Immunization Registry and we are making it available for you to view live on the web.

We are excited about the key role that HL7 plays in the new software. HL7 is not just an interface added for external systems, the Insight Immunization Registry uses HL7 for all its internal communication. The simplified diagram shows the registry architecture. (Note how the Registry Engine communications with the various registry partners via HL7.) Insight-IR meets all the HL7 CDC Immunization Registry Certification requirements.

End users may access the Registry Web Server using a web browser in a secure HTML solution, simplifying security, and making the application available to a wide variety of clients. The Web server talks to end users through secure encrypted web pages, and it talks to the Registry Engine using the HL7 Low Level Protocol (LLP) over TCP/IP in real time without the delays of "store and forward" systems like email and batch systems like FTP. See for yourself how fast it is on our 100,000 patient sample database!

Other HL7-aware applications can communicate directly in real time with the Registry over the LLP or in batch through file transfer (FTP) or encrypted email. The key point is that the Registry Engine talks HL7 as it's native language, rather than as an add on, thereby insuring a robust HL7 implementation and the widest-possible accessibility.

The n-tier architecture allows for scalability and flexibility in network is configuration, while providing a high level of performance. The Insight-IR can handle both regional and statewide registries. The highly-scalable design currently supports (and has been validated with) multiple concurrent server machines.

Architecture is important for a solution that works smoothly and fast, but there is more to an Immunization Registry than network diagrams and protocols. It has to "do immunization stuff". Here, the Insight-IR registry stands out with this feature list:

• Intuitive, clean, easy-to-grasp Web Browser interface.
• Extensive help and tutorial information.
• Patient Searches by multiple criteria employing intelligent matching. Our Advanced Heuristic Deduplication process not only does simple tasks like sound-alike matching, but also uses sophisticated algorithms to recognize and categorize typographic and other data errors, resulting in accuracy rates of over 99.9% and the ability to automatically determine matches for over 90% of records, thereby reducing by orders of magnitude the number of possible duplicates requiring research. We believe that our deduplication is the best there is.
• Patient Demographic Data entry and maintenance, including all CDC Registry Core Data requirements.
• Fast entry of Historical Immunization data.
• Entry of current Immunizations, retrieval and maintenance.
• Record refusals and reasons immunizations were not given.
• View summary and detailed Immunization history.
• Print a school immunization certificate.
• Immunization Recommendations based on ACIP schedule.
• Reminder/Recall.
• Record Contraindications and Medical Alerts.
• Record Vaccine Adverse Reactions (VAERS).
• All data displayed and updated is transported over HL7 strictly following the CDC HL7 2.3.1. Implementation Guidelines.
• User and table administration.
• Native two-way HL7 engine that currently supports incoming VXQ, VXU, ORU, QPB, MFQ and outgoing VXX, VXR, ACK, MFR, RDY, MFN, MFA. Incoming ADT transactions planned under development.
• Detailed logging of all registry activity (both inquiry and update) including user's IP address and HL7 messages.
• 128-bit SSL security for web users
• Role-based security
• Inactivity Timeout (configurable - set at 15 minutes in Demo)
• Load balancing traffic manager, supporting multiple registry servers, message priority and SSL encryption.

QS is a proud member of the American Immunization Registry Association and HL7.

For more information contact Kevin Davidson at (800) 922-4426 x3505 or e-mail sales@qsinc.com.